Audrey Kalman's Blog, page 3

Four odes in prose

I wrote four odes this week, after promising to write one a week, so technically I’m off the hook for the rest of the month. But don’t be surprised if you hear from me again before March is over. To the public health officials Did you imagine this challenge when you signed up for this,... Continue Reading →

Behold the odes of March

View over San Francisco Bay What I learned about my February commitment is this: I’m not built for fun. Which is not to say I’m not built for humor, or irony, or laughter. But I’m not built for oblivious entertainment, gratuitous pleasure-seeking, or pain-numbing highs. I’m built for reverence, ritual, and occasional rapture. I’m built... Continue Reading →

[We] are slaves to [our] pronouns

One of the exercises you can experiment with in pursuit of The Headless Way is pointing to the space where your head is not. I’ve made my living by words for many years. The older I get, the more inadequate language seems as a method of expression and connection. All language comes burdened with culture,... Continue Reading →

Welcome to Funbruary

“I am a cat, and my life is non-stop fun.” On order this month: more laughter People often tell me I’m too serious. I often think they’re right. So, as part of my year of discovery, I’m going to devote the month of February to having fun. The concept of fun means something very different... Continue Reading →

12 Months of Discovery

I don’t really do New Year’s resolutions. I’ve made my share of year-end commitments over the years (write more, connect with book clubs). Mostly, these commitments helped me pay attention to things I might otherwise have forgotten about in the swirl of daily life. This year, I am making a public commitment and inviting you... Continue Reading →

You Can Help Choose My Next Story

I finally participated in NaNoWriMo, although technically it was NaSSWriMo, because I worked on short stories. My challenge, however, is to choose what to work on from the mound of material I've generated. So I’m asking for your help to prioritize. Just read through the brief synopses in the form at the bottom of the post, and cast your vote!

Stand up and be recognized

Recognition Awards for independent and self-published books are tricky business. The Internet is awash with shady characters more interested in taking your money than giving you recognition. I know; I have fallen for a few scams. In fact, I think I can say that in most cases, the more you’re asked to pay, the shadier... Continue Reading →

When Hawaii calls, answer

Three years ago I had a dream set on a Hawaiian island — I don’t know which one — that featured a character named the Goddess Cash. I transcribed the dream and wrote a short story based on it. And I began, without quite intending to, creating scenes for this character. I’ve amassed almost 100.... Continue Reading →

Show your local indie bookstore some love today

Above is one of my favorite indie bookstores, Kepler’s in Menlo Park, CA. It also happens to be the location of many fantastic literary events through its nonprofit arm and where I read at Story is the Thing last October. Last year was the first I learned that the last Saturday in April is Independent... Continue Reading →

Books my readers love to read (and you might, too)

Last year, I started a survey to find out what readers of my books like to read. I include a link to the survey when I welcome new subscribers to my email list. It’s an eclectic collection. I was surprised to see so much fantasy among the favorites. Maybe readers of my current books will... Continue Reading →